The 79th Annual NFL Selection Meeting, better known as the 2014 draft, will finally kick off on Thursday night. After months of speculation, we will get long-awaited answers to the endless questions about where every player might go and what every team might do.

Here are the most pressing, from the quarterback hoping to prove all his critics wrong to the defensive end just hoping to get his chance:

It’s looking less like Manziel will be the top pick to Houston, but that hasn’t kept him from being the top topic of conversation. Even in a deep, talented class, no one else has come close to facing the same hype, scrutiny and attention as the Texas A&M Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

Just in the past week, the rumors have tied him with St. Louis (No. 2), Jacksonville (No. 3) and Cleveland (No. 4). Teams such as Tampa Bay (No. 7), Tennessee (No. 11) and yes, Dallas (No. 16), also have crashed that party. Given how polarizing he is both on and off the field, it’s a sign he’s become the most unpredictable of prospects.

But between the Jaguars, Browns and Raiders (No. 5) it’s hard to see a) all three not wanting on Manziel and b) if they don’t, that another team doesn’t trade up to get him. The potential reward is too high to ignore, and there’s grown a comfort level that his risk is no longer higher than the other potential first-round quarterbacks.

Just how far will Teddy Bridgewater fall?

Based on how things shake out with quarterback and team fits, there’s been a growing feeling that Manziel, UCF's Blake Bortles and Fresno State’s Derek Carr going in some order will push Louisville’s Bridgewater out of the first round. Don’t believe it until you see it.

Bridgewater’s pro day workout wasn’t great, but the mysterious gloveless experience is just a small part of the picture. His body of work with the Cardinals was once good enough to put him in consideration for first overall, and any drop shouldn’t be that drastic. The lowest spot for him would be at No. 26, the Browns’ second first-round pick. Several teams do still like Bridgewater over Bortles and Carr. The spots to watch for Bridgewater outside of the top 10 are No. 11 to Tennessee and No. 20 to Arizona.

What position will dominate early?

With the draft pushed back, scouts have had longer time to disagree on some things, but there’s one consensus. The strength of the 2014 class lies at wide receiver. Clemson’s Sammy Watkins and Texas A&M’s Mike Evans are the surefire superstars, but starting with the special next tier (LSU’s Odell Beckham Jr., USC’s Marqise Lee and Oregon State’s Brandin Cooks, in some order), there are receivers to fit all kind of needs. There’s a good chance eight wideouts will go in Round 1, matched by the haul in Round 2.

Which positions should teams target early?

There’s a clear-cut top trio of both offensive tackles (Auburn’s Greg Robinson, Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews, Michigan’s Taylor Lewan) and safeties (Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Louisville’s Calvin Pryor and Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward). After that, the question marks start to creep into both in terms of players that are ready to contribute in a big way right away. A franchise left tackle or rangy playmaking safety would be at the top of the list for teams looking for immediate impact, but they can’t afford to hesitate early if they want either.

Which is the most “buyer beware” position?

Make that tight end. It will have a first-rounder in North Carolina’s Eric Ebron, but the team that gets him will have more of an athletic wide receiver hybrid who won’t give them much as a blocker for a while. The next two in line, Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro and Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins have some promise, but need more time to develop as complete players. Just because it’s a trendier position doesn’t mean teams will reach to get one in a weak overall class.

Which team will make the power moves?

The Browns and Rams, each with two first-round picks, go in with that potential. But look to the 49ers, who are sitting on 11 picks and need to be aggressive due to what may be a slowly shrinking Super Bowl window. Players such as Mack, Evans, Beckaham Jr. and UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr are among good trade-up targets. For teams trying to jump into contender status, keep on an eye on Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, also with 11 turns on the clock.

Alabama’s AJ McCarron has seen his stock continue to drop since an interception-plagued final game, as the more scouts look at him, they see more of a good backup at best. The red flags with LSU’s Zach Mettenberger include both injury history (back) and off-field concerns, a perception not helped by a failed drug test. The answer is Georgia’s Aaron Murray, who reminds some of Drew Brees and has potential to be an efficient starter in a West Coast offense. It helped that he looked healthy (knee) and showed off his familiar college strengths at his late pro day.

Murray is an ideal Day 2 insurance pick for who has a contract concern with its current West Coast starter (see Kansas City with Alex Smith or Cincinnati with Andy Dalton). He could appeal to New Orleans, too, to groom behind Brees.

Who are the real “sleeper” QBs in the draft?

It seems the secrets are out on Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo and Pittsburgh’s Tom Savage, intriguing second-round picks for quarterback-starved teams who don’t pull the first-round trigger on the position. Take these two names instead: Clemson’s Tajh Boyd and Southern Methodist’s Garrett Gilbert.

Boyd was once mentioned in the same first-round air as Bridgewater. Although some have downgraded him to a mid Day 3 pick because of shaky postseason performances, his stock is creeping back up.

He was very productive in a high-octane passing offense in college, and he’s reminiscent in many ways of the Bills’ EJ Manuel, a 2013 first-rounder. At worst, he can be a backup (the Panthers, behind Cam Newton), and at best, get into a situation where he can compete for a job soon (the Jets, behind Michael Vick and Geno Smith).

Gilbert, the one-time starter at Texas, meanwhile, hadn’t been on the radar at SMU enough to even get an invite to the Combine. Since he showed his arm and athleticism at his pro day, he’s been heating up as a late-round project. If the Cowboys are going in-state for a QB, he would be much more likely than Manziel.

Will Michael Sam get drafted?

It’s hard to imagine a reigning SEC defensive player of the year not being selected over 256 picks. But if he doesn’t go anywhere, it will because he’s an in-between pass rusher with limited athleticism otherwise, and for no other reason. If he’s picked, he would make most sense as a seventh-round flyer for a base 3-4 defensive team such as the Ravens, Steelers or Jets.